1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to positioning one frame within another frame, for example positioning a window between wall studs, a door frame between wall studs, and any frame having sides that are to be spaced from support elements wherein the sides are not to be bowed by the process or item of spacing from the support elements such as being bowed by a shim or by a fastener tightening a side to the support element.
The invention is described herein by way of example and not limitation, as shimming laterally from, and fastening the sides of a window to, the sides or studs of an opening through a wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Customarily a window is installed in an opening through a wall by first resting the window on one or more support shims that are between the sill of the window and the sill of the opening. The thickness of the support shim is selected so that the window is at a desired height between the opening""s sill and the header of the opening. Then the window is positioned laterally or horizontally so that it is at a desired position between the vertical sides or studs of the opening. Screws are then placed horizontally through each vertical side or jamb of the window and screwed into the adjacent wall stud.
The screws"" heads pull outward on the window jamb causing it to bow outward toward the stud into the space between the jamb and the stud. The bowing outward prevents the weather stripping seals from remaining in uniform contact along their length with the sashes.
Wood shims are inserted into the space between the jamb and the stud to reduce outward bowing of the jamb. It is difficult to maintain a balance between the bow outward force applied by the screws"" heads and the bow inward force applied by the shims against the jamb.
It is time consuming to install the shims between the jamb and the stud if the stud surface is irregular. The shim cannot be inserted axially or normal to the plane of the window, into the space between the jamb and the stud, if the wallboard around the opening extends marginally past the stud over the space between the stud and the jamb, unless the wallboard is trimmed back to the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,124, patented Aug. 9, 1983 by R. E. Redman describes a nylon thumb screw having a threaded shank, knurled disk head, and raised annular ring on the top of the head. The shank is screwed into a hole that is through a wall of the stile of a glass-retaining door panel, that is transverse to the plane of the glass. The screw is turned by the knurls until the annular ring on the head presses on an edge of the glass so that the edge is the glass pane is positioned with respect to the stile to being at a desired distance from the transverse wall of the stile. The nylon ring yields enough to the edge of the glass to dent the ring so that the glass prevents unwanted rotational movement of the screw after a desired setting adjustment is made.
It is one object of the invention to provide a shim for positioning a window between sides of an opening through a wall.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shim that positions a window from, and fastens the window to, a side of an opening through a wall.
It is another object of the invention that the shim moves laterally to an axis that is normal to the plane of the window, into the space between the jamb of the window and the side of the opening.
It is another object that the shim is mounted on the window before the shim is extended into the space between the jamb and the side of the opening.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent to one reading the ensuing description of the invention.
A shim for mounting in a passageway through a longitudinal side wall of a window frame for positioning a window adjacent to an inner surface of an opening in a wall for receiving the window, includes a first collar having an axis, means on the first collar for preventing rotation of the first collar on the axis when the first collar is mounted in the passageway with the axis extending laterally to the length of the side wall, a second collar mounted in the first collar, means on the first and second collars for moving the second collar axially within the first collar by rotating the second collar so that a first end of the second collar can be extended away from the longitudinal side wall and the window frame, and means on the second collar for receiving a fastener for fastening the second collar to the inner surface of the second opening when the window is in the opening and the first collar is mounted in the passageway.
The means on the second collar for receiving a fastener includes a channel that extends axially through the second collar. The means for moving the second collar axially within the first collar includes a thread.
A method of positioning a window in an opening through a wall includes the steps of positioning the window in the opening so that a longitudinal side of the frame of the window is adjacent to an inner side of the wall""s opening, rotating a hollow shaft threadedly mounted in a collar that is mounted on the frame against rotation of the collar, until a first end of the shaft contacts the inner side of the wall when the longitudinal side is the desired distance from the inner side of the wall for positioning the window in the opening, and applying force toward the inner side against a second end of the hollow shaft by extending a fastener through the hollow shaft into the inner side of the wall.
A method for fastening a window in an opening through a wall comprising a first side that faces into the opening, includes the steps of:
in any order, (a) positioning the window in the opening so that a longitudinal side of the frame of the window is adjacent to the first side, (b) rotating a shaft comprising a longitudinal passageway therethrough, on external threads on the shaft which engage internal threads on a collar that is mounted on the longitudinal side of the frame against rotation of the collar, so that a first end of the shaft contacts the first side of the wall when the longitudinal side of the frame is a desired distance from the front side of the wall for positioning the window in the opening,
and then (c) while the first end of the shaft is in contact with the first side of the wall, press a fastener that extends through the passageway, against a second end of the shaft by driving a first end of the fastener into the wall, so that lateral force is not delivered to the longitudinal side of the window frame by the shaft.
A method for mounting a window frame in an opening through a wall comprising a first side that faces into the opening, comprising the steps of:
in any order, (a) positioning the window in the opening so that a longitudinal side of the frame is adjacent to the first side, (b) rotating a hollow shaft on external threads on the shaft which engage internal threads on a collar that is mounted on the frame against rotation of the collar, so that a first end of the shaft contacts the first side of the wall when the longitudinal side is a desired distance from the first side of the wall for positioning the window in the opening,
and then one of (c) with a portion of a fastener against a second end of the hollow shaft, applying force toward the first side against the second end of the hollow shaft by extending the fastener which passes through the hollow shaft into the first side of the wall, (d) applying force toward the first side of the wall against a second end of the hollow shaft with a fastener that extends through the hollow shaft, and fastening the fastener to the wall, and (e) fastening the first end of the shaft against the first side that faces into the opening.
A window mounted in an opening in a wall having a first side, includes:
a frame of said window comprising a longitudinal side wall, said first side of said wall facing into said opening, adjacent to and spaced from said longitudinal side wall, a collar, mounted in said longitudinal side wall against rotation in said longitudinal side wall, having an axis transverse to said longitudinal side wall, a shaft comprising a longitudinal passageway therethrough, mounted in said collar, external threads on said shaft engaging internal threads on said collar, said shaft extending from said collar toward said first side, a first end of said shaft contacting said first side,
and one of (a) a fastener contacting a second end of said shaft, extending through said passageway into said first side for fastening the first end of said shaft against said first side facing into said opening, and (b) a fastener, comprising a portion fixedly larger than the diameter of said longitudinal passageway at a second end of said shaft engaging said second end of said shaft, extending through said passageway, fastened to said wall.
A shim for mounting in a hole through a longitudinal side wall having a front surface and a back surface, of a widow frame for attaching the frame to a surface of a second wall defining an opening in the second wall for receiving the window frame in the second wall, includes:
a first collar having an axis, first means on said first collar, extending radially from said first collar for engaging the front surface and the back surface of said longitudinal side wall when said first collar is mounted in the opening with said axis extending laterally to the length of said longitudinal side wall, a second collar comprising a longitudinal passage therethrough, mounted in said first collar, threads on the first and second collars for moving said second collar axially within said first collar by rotating said second collar so that a first end of said second collar can be extended from the window frame, a fastener comprising a portion adjacent to a second end of said second collar, fixedly larger than the diameter of said longitudinal passageway at said second end of said second collar, extending through said passageway, a portion of said fastener adapted for fastening in said second wall by penetrating said second wall extending from the first end of said second collar. The shim may also include second means on said first collar, extending radially from said first collar configured for engaging said longitudinal side wall for preventing rotation of said first collar on said first axis when said first collar is mounted in the opening with said axis extending laterally to the length of said longitudinal side wall.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent to one reading the ensuing description of the invention.